Holder for surgical accessories



.1. DJIKARLE HOLDER ROCR SURGICAL ACCESSORIES July 27, 1948.

.3 sheets sheet 1 Original Filed July 4, 1942 y J. DQ'KARLE 2,446,155

HOLDER FOR SURGICAL ACCESSORIES Original Filed July 4, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 27, 1948 J. D. 'K RLE HOLDER FOR SURGICAL ACCESSORIES Original Fild July 4, 1942 5 SheetsSheet 3 Patented July 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Q HOLDER Foa sUnGwsL'AccEssomEs John D. Karle, Roselle Park, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Original application July 4, 1942, Serial No. 449,824. Divided and this application July 13,

1944, Serial No. 544,786 I 8 Claims. (01. 206-46) This application is a division ofmy pending United States patent application Serial No. 449,824 filed July 4, 1942, which has matured into Patent No. 2,399,040, dated April 23, 1946.

This invention relates to holders for surgical accessories and it has as anobject to provide improved means, designed particularly for use in conjunction with a portable container for a surgical stitching instrument, for holding the various accessories used with the instrument, such, for example, as needles, spools etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved holding means for the various accessories used with a surgical stitching instrument, which means is particularly adapted to be carried in aportable sterilizing container for the instrument in such a manner that they will constantly be subjected to the action of sterilizing fluid within the container.

Still another object is to provide improved holding means for surgical accessories which permits the accessories to be sterilized, while in the con: tainer, byan autoclave or other sterilizing equipment commonlyavailable in hospitals and the like, and which permits removal anduse of selected ones of the accessories without contamination of the others.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forthand illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages at: tained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In thedrawings, i

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a holder for surgical stitching instruments and their accessories, adapted for oflice and hospital use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder, showing a surgical stitching instrument and its accessoriessupported therein.

Fig. 3 is a top end view of the holder with the closure cap removed, showing the instrument and Fig. .7 isa side elevation of a second accessory carrying memberadapted to be supported! in the holder, showing a plurality of suturing needles carried thereby. 1w I Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the needle-camrying member, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9v is a side elevation of my improved holder for surgical stitching instruments and their accessories, when fitted for field use, showing a ground-penetrating support therefor in retracted position. i

Fig..10is a view of the lower portion. of-the holder shown in Fig. 9 with the ground-penetrating support rotated thereon and extended for-insertion into the ground. i i

Fig. 11 is a bottom end view of the device as shown in Fig. 10 with a certainbelt-attaching clamp omitted. r

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a modifiedwform of needle-holder adapted to be supported in the container.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line |3-l3 of Fig. 12. l 1

Referring more specifically to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the invention. is disclosed as embodied in a device comprising a cam like container I having its lower end closed and its upper end open and exteriorly threaded, as at 2. A closure cap 3 is internally threaded, as at 4, to screw upon the threaded upper end of the container. To. prevent loss of the cap, it may be attached to the container, as, for example, by a chain 5, attached to the container by a screw 6 and to the cap by a swivel connection] which permits free rotation of the cap. The cap 3 is with an internal hub 8 circumferentiallygrooved to receive and hold the small end of ,a bee -hive spring 9 to the larger end of which is attached a disk l'fl adapted, when-the cap is screwed down up on the container, as shown in Fig. 2, .to act as a pressure plate to hold the suturing instrument and the accessory holders therein against displacement.

To effect a tight seal between the container l and the cap 3, the container is formed, below the threads 2,.with. an annular substantially frustoconical shoulder H adapted to be engaged by the frusto-conical inner face I2 of the skirt portion of.the cap. As shown most clearly in Fig. 5,- the upper surface of the shoulderll is slightly rounded in cross-section so that a line contact is obtained between the shoulder and the cap when the cap is screwed down. i

Secured in chord-like position in the open upper end of the container l are a pairof accessory-holder supporting bars I3 and I I adapted to receive and support the hooked upper ends I5 and IE of accessory-carrying members I5 and I6, respectively. A suturing instrument S is arranged lengthwise within the container l between the accessoryeoarrying member-s l 5 and I5. Thesuturing instrument maybe that disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,348,218, May 9, 1944.

The member I5 comprises a strip of fiat metal carrying a plurality of split studs I1 adapted to support and frictionally retain suture-carrying spools I8 designed for use in the surgical stltch--.

ing instrument S. At its lower end-the meme "the shank thereof against the strip 25 above a her I5 is formed with a split tube I9 adapted to receive and frictionally retain a spool-winderjllm adapted to hold and wind suturing thread .on,;.

the spools I8. Intermediate the spools IBand the spool-winder, the member I5 carries a pluv rality of outwardly projecting pins 2| arranged with the means employed for attaching them to the handle of the suturing instrument when it is desired'to wind suturing thread on the spools, are-disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,328,557, Sept. '7, 1943- i w i The accessory holder IE is designed to hold curvedneedlesfor use in the surgical stitching instrument S and comprises a sheet metal blank folded: as illustrated in Fig-=8 to provide needleshank-clamping side Walls I6 between which the shanks 22 of needles22 are. adapted to be frictionally held. The points of the needles also may be located between the sidewalls Ifi to protect the points and to prevent a user from'accidentally coming into contact therewith. The container disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 is designed primarily for, office and'hospital use where conventional sterilizing equipment is available. For thatreason, the neck portion 23 of the container I, 'i. e. the portion bet'weenthe shoulder I I and the threads 2, is formed with a plurality of slots or apertures 24 which (when the cap 3 is partially unscrewed and the container, with the instrument and accessories therein, is placedin an autoclave or other suitable-sterilizing unit) permit the'sterilizing fluid to enter the container,

sterilizing liquid into which the surgical stitching instrument and its accessories may be immersed and maintained in sterile condition for instant In Figs. 12 and 13'there is disclosed a modified forml'o'f needle-holder also adapted to be supportedby the cross-bar M in the mouth of the container I. This modified needle-holder comprises a sheet metal strip 25 having, at one end, a hook-portion 26, designed to hang upon the crossbar 14, and a finger piece 2'! designed to'facilitate withdrawing of the holder from'the container. Secured to the strip 25; at spaced intervals, by rivets 28 are spring-clips 29 adapted frictionally to engage the shanks' s of needles n laid uponthe strip 25 and abutting a fiange 30 formed on one edgeof the strip. Preferably the'strip 25 is aper illustrated i Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

clip 29. and then moving the needle downwardly against and beyond the finger piece 3|. This -movement of the needle shank will flex the clip and admit the shank of the needle into the semicylindrical socket '32 provided by the clip.

For, field usethe holder may be modified as This modified construction differs; from the construction hereinbejore described in that the container I is provided with a bayonet-like ground-penetrating support 33 curved in cross-section so as to fit the outside of the container I, as shown in Fig. l1, and designed to have its pointed end forced into the ground to hold thecontainer in upright position While the suturing instrument is being used. The support 33 is fixed to a sleeve 33 rotatably and slidingly fitted upon the outside of thecontainer I and adapted to be slid upwardly thereon, to the retracted position shown in Fig. 9; when not in use. or to be slid downwardly thereon, to the position shown in Fig; 10, when it is desired to insert the support into the ground. When the support is retracted the sleeve 34 is partially rotated on the container Ito bring the pointed end 35 of the member 33 into' contactwith the upper side of one of the two projecting ends 36* of a plate 36 which is fitted into a recess 36 in the bottom wall of the container and held therein by screws 31. This holds the member 33 in retracted position. At its lower end, the sleeve 34 is formed with two diametrically opposite outwardly expanded flat loops 38 which afford clearance for the projecting ends '36 of the plate 36 and, at the upper end of said loops, with'two circumferentially disposed slots 39 into which the ends 35? are adapted to be rotated. The ends 35*, the loops 38 and the slots 39 constitute a form of bayonet joint for maintaining the'sleeve ,4V and the member 33in their projected or operative positions. A spring clamp 40, attached to a wire loop 4|, connected to the member 33, serves as means to support the holder on the belt 'oi'a surgeon for the purpose of transportation.

For field service the container I is preferably 1 filled with'a suitable sterilizing fluid into which the instrument S and the accessories may be im mersed after each use. Supporting or the container I in upright position, as by inserting the member 33 into the ground, prevents spilling of the sterilizingfluid "while the instrument is in use.

When fitted for office'and hospital usefa s shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the recess, 36 in the bottom Wall of the container may be filled with a dummy plate AZQwhich is shorter than the plate 36 and whose ends are fiushw-ith the the container. v

From the foregoing it will'be perceived that this invention has provided improved means for holding surgical accessories in a portable sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument, which means is simple in constructiom'inexpensiveto manufacture, efficient in operation and Which'will effectivelyprevent disarrangement and loss of the accessories, espe'cially'when the container and surgical stitching instrument with side wall of which they are associated are used in the field and under extremely adverse conditions.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. An accessory holder for use in a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument having a supporting bar arranged across its open end, comprising a strip of metal having a hooked end designed to be hung on said bar and friction means for securing needles to said strip.

2. An accessory holder for use in a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument having a supporting bar arranged across its open end, comprising a folded strip of sheet metal having a hooked end designed to be hung on said bar and having its opposed walls spaced apart for frictionally holding therebetween the shanks of a plurality of needles for use in said instrument.

3. An accessory holder for use in a can-like sterilizer container for a surgical stitching instrument having a supporting bar arranged across its open end; comprising a strip of metal having a hooked end designed to be hung on said bar, and a plurality of spring clips secured to said metal strip for irictionally gripping the shanks of surgical needles placed against the side of said strip.

4. An accessory holder for use in a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument having an accessory-holder positioning member within the container, comprising a relatively long and narrow strip of sheet material designed to be retained lengthwise within said container by the accessory-holder positioning member and friction means for securing needles to said strip.

5. In combination with a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument having a supporting bar arranged across its open end, an accessory holder comprising a relatively long and narrow metallic member formed with a hooked end engaging said supporting bar to maintain said member suspended in said container, and means frictionally to support on said member accessories for a surgical stitching instrument.

6. In combination with a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument having a pair of supporting-bars arranged in chordlike position across its open end, a pair of accessory holders each comprising a strip of metal having a hooked end adapted to be hung on one of said supporting bars in substantial parallelism with each other, a plurality of split spool-supporting studs projecting laterally from one of said accessory holders, means on said one of said holders for frictionally securing thereon a thread-guiding device and a spool-winding device, and means for frictionally securing to the other accessory holder a plurality of surgical needles.

7. An accessory holder for use in a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument, comprising a relatively long and narrow sheet metal member having at its upper end a flat hook portion designed to engage a part of the container and to be removab-ly suspended lengthwise therein, and friction means provided by said member yieldingly to support accessories for a surgical stitching instrument.

8. The combination with a can-like sterilizing container for a surgical stitching instrument having a cylindrical casing and an accessory holder positioning member secured in its upper end and extending chord-like thereacross, of an accessory holder comprising a strip oat sheet metal having a hook-shaped upper end engaging said member to support the holder in vertical position in said container, said accessory holder being provided at one side with a plurality of transversely disposed spool-supporting studs and a plurality of spaced pins adapted to engage and support a thread-guiding member, said accessory holder also being provided with an axially arranged split-tube for frictionally holding a spool-winding device.

JOHN D. KARIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 816,959 Briganti Apr. 3, 1906 1,005,870 Packer Oct. 17, 1911 1,266,031 McCully May 214, 1918 1,447,727 Kendall Mar. 6, 1923 1,480,829 Moran Jan. 15, 1924 1,873,039 Robinson et al Aug. :23, 1932 1,994,546 Ventura Mar. 19, 1935 2,276,569 Fried Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 138,452 Great Britain Feb. '12, 1920 

